Mr Poopers Day Out

Crazy how this works out isn’t it? Two finished knits, one being February Lady Sweater & the other Gentleman’s Fancy Socks.  I’m extremely happy with both too so it was quite a good weekend. 

Pattern: February Lady Sweater (pattern originally by Elizabeth Zimmermann, adapted by Pamela Wayne)
Yarn: Beaverslide Worsted Merino in colorway “Star Gazer”
Needles: US 8 Circs
Verdict: I love this sweater. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I had a few moments of doubt though, I have to admit that. Doubt that this style was ok for my body type & frame. Doubt that the where the garter stitch & lace meet would fall unflatteringly across the girls, doubt that the yarn was anywhere close to being right. Doubts are gone though.
I am so happy that I choose this heavy of a yarn for this pattern. It’s not as refined as some of the sweaters I’ve seen, but I have to be honest with you for a minute here.  I’m no small chick. (Obviously right? lol) And  I have spent quite a long time figuring out what I can and can not wear. (I can not wear tank tops in any form, & usually not swing coats but it depends on the length). 

I have to tell you, the weightier & more rustic nature of this yarn proved this sweaters salvation. I thought of buying a lot of Dream in Color (like EVERYONE ELSE) but decided to shop from the stash. I got roughly the right gage with this yarn & set forth.  The heavier yarn adds structure to the lace, and you can’t beat garter stitch in Beaverslide.  This is no wimpy lace sweater, but neither is it ridiculously hot either. The open nature of the design & the short sleeves are quite perfect for California winters or nights.

I made the sleeves a bit shorter because that’s my prefrence. With more fitted sleeves I like them longer but with open coat sleeves like this, just below the elbow is key, I won’t mess with them & they will provide just the right coverage.
Please excuse the no make up, crazy poof of hair & scenery.  I seem to never wear makeup when I take pictures of my knits (mainly because I’m so excited they are done).  The buttons are made by a local artist. They are polished Abalone & actually are quite perfect. I added a little detail when sewing them on that you can’t see. I choose a emerald green thread for a little accent of color.
NEXT!
Pattern: Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Vintage Knits by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Regia Silk Sock 2 skeins
Needles: US 1 DPN throughout
Verdict. These are lovely. Just lovely. I wouldn’t have thought that this yarn would be so delish, but people, though the color is not inspiring, the feel of these puppies. Smooshy, swishy, & silky. The pattern wasn’t interesting, but it was a good knit none the less. Nancy Bush is as always, a complete genius with her patterns. So easy any knitter could follow it and the results are always so beautiful.
Sorry about some of the images quality, I had a root canal before I took these & was a little drugged up.

So there you have it. Now I am working steadily on my Beaverslide Hybrid sweater, I’ve finished the body & now need the arms & yoke to complete. I also started the Honey Comb shawl which is totally fun NO PURLING! I ALSO (lol starteritius!) have cast on for Lady Eleanor and am going to be planning out a cabled camp coat for the Mr.  Can I just tell you how fun entrelac is? I had some major frustrations at first because the set up row looked wrong. Thankfully I found someone on flickr who had posted their starter row & I knew I was doing it right. Expect many more projects coming at you!